Here’s a cool twist on vegetarian lasagna: in addition to vegetables like zucchini and carrots, red lentils provide an unexpected texture and a boost in protein. The recipe comes from Fitness Food — this book continues to be a source of interesting, healthy meals.

Chris says:

I like nights that you cook.

Lisa says:

Why’s that?

Chris says:

You choose recipes that I probably wouldn’t have.

Lisa says:

Ha, you wouldn’t have picked this one? Why not?

Chris says:

Dunno; just didn’t sound appealing to mein ears.

Lisa says:

Yet, and guess what happened?

Chris says:

I know, I freaking love it!

Lisa says:

Me too — so different. I’ve been in the mood for lasagna for a while now. We never make it!

Heat the oil in a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan, add the onion and garlic, and cook over low heat until softened. Stir in the celery, carrot, and zucchini and cook for 2 more minutes. Add the lentils, chopped tomatoes, tomato paste, sugar, and oregano. Add 3 cups of water, stir, and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer for 40 minutes, or until the lentils are cooked. Stir frequently, and season to taste with salt and pepper. While the lentils are cooking, preheat the oven to 350F. Combine the ricotta and milk in a bowl. Spoon half the lentil sauce into a 9 x 10 ovenproof dish. Top with 3 lasagna noodles, then half of the ricotta/milk mixture. Cover with the basil leaves. Top with 3 more lasagna noodles, then spread the remaining lentil mixture over the top. Top with the remaining lasagna noodles. Beat the egg into the remaining half of the ricotta/milk mixture. Spread the surface with the ricotta mixture and cover with the cheese. Bake for 40 minutes. If the top starts to dry out, sprinkle with water. Top with additional basil ribbons.

I adapted this recipe from Fitness Food, omitting the ham and white wine (didn’t have any on hand — added more shrimp and broth), and replacing the peas with chopped green beans (ditto — use what you got, folks!). I guess you can’t really call this a true paella as it uses long-grain basmati rice instead of bomba or calasparra, but the method is pretty similar, and hey — you cook it in a paella pan.

Chris says:

Let’s eat!

Lisa says:

…wait, this is just four servings?

Chris says:

Sho’nuff… Fitness Food and Great Bowls of Fire seem to have quite a few of the generous-portion dishes.

Heat the oil in a deep paella pan at least 12-inches across the bottom and 2 1/2 inches deep. Add the garlic, serrano pepper, and ginger and cook for 1 minute, or until fragrant. Add the onion and red bell pepper and cook, stirring, for 2-3 minutes, or until softened. Stir in the rice, paprika, saffron, and 1/2 cup of the broth. Cook, stirring, until the broth is absorbed. Add the zucchini, mushrooms, and tomatoes. Add the remaining stock (or as much as will fit in the pan) and bring to a boil, stirring continuously. Lower the heat and simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Arrange the shrimp over the rice, pressing them in a bit. Cover tightly with foil and simmer for 10 minutes, or until the shrimp and rice are fully cooked. Stir in the green beans and top with the parsley.

A month or so ago, we made this easy fish dish, adapted from a recipe in Fitness Food: The Essential Guide to Eating Well and Performing Better. The original used fish steaks (snapper, halibut, swordfish…) but we had a few tilapia fillets on hand and it sounded like a good match to me! We paired it with brown rice mixed with shaved carrot, ginger, green onion, and soy.

Lisa says:

Is there anything that doesn’t go with cilantro?

Chris says:

In our house? No.

Lisa says:

Haha — true! Is this the dish you made because we happened to have everything in the house already?

Chris says:

You know, I’m not sure. It’s been a long while. Damn catch-up posts… I do remember liking it though.

Lisa says:

I barely remember it, but I’m thinking the fact that it’s slathered with stir-fried mushrooms means I hearted it a whole lot.

Chris says:

You have a way with words… but I’m guessing you’re right. Okay, on to the recipe…

Mix the soy sauce, oil, rice wine, sugar, lemon zest, and lemon juice together in a shallow glass baking dish. Place the fish in the dish and turn to coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight, turning over a couple of times. Remove from the fridge and allow to return to room temperature. Preheat the oven to 350F. Heat the sesame oil in a frying pan over medium heat and when hot add mushrooms. Stir-fry for 3-4 minutes or until they start to soften, then add in the scallions, stir, and remove from the heat. Sprinkle the mushroom mixture over the fish and bake, covered with foil, for 20 minutes, or until the fish is opaque and firm. Garnish with cilantro and serve with rice.

Vegetarian Week continues here at We [Heart] Food, with this recipe (okay, it uses chicken stock, but you could replace with vegetable stock) from Fitness Food. Nothing too fancy here, just a huge plate of roasted vegetables over a bed of couscous and chickpeas.

Lisa says:

Waaahoooo!

Chris says:

I know, this is like your dream dinner!

Lisa says:

It’s true! It’s like a really good version of what I make at lunch at work.

Chris says:

Super simple, and you can do it in stages… while the first set of veggies is in the oven you can start cutting up the next set.

Preheat the oven to 350F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and place the sweet potato and eggplant on the trays. Spray with the oil, add the rosemary, and toss to coat. Arrange in a single layer and bake for 15 minutes. Add in the zucchini, red bell pepper, and onion. Spray again with the oil spray and continue to bake an additional 15 minutes. Add the tomato wedges, drizzle with the vinegar, and bake for a final 15 minutes, or until all of the vegetables are tender. Meanwhile, heat the stock in a saucepan to boiling. Remove from the heat and stir in the couscous. Cover and set aside for 3 minutes, then return to a low heat and fluff with a fork for 2-3 minutes to separate. Add the chickpeas and most of the herbs. Serve the vegetables on warm couscous. Garnish with extra herbs.

Lisa has running group on Tuesdays, so I try to find recipes that can be prepared relatively quickly and don’t depend on exact timing — and so we can eat as soon as she walks in the door! This pasta dish from Fitness Food fit the bill: tuna steaks are grilled and placed upon a bed of wheat-noodles that have been tossed with plenty of cilantro, green onions, and an asian-inspired dressing. Any recipe that includes the words “one large handful of cilantro” gets my vote!

Lisa says:

Fitness Food rules.

Chris says:

See? You go for a run, you have run-worthy food waiting for you when you get home.

Lisa says:

I love the green onions.

Chris says:

…and of course, the cilantro?

Lisa says:

Of course!

Chris says:

I’d totally make this again if we wanted a quick pasta-and-fish meal. It took all of 20 minutes to make.

Mix the lime juice, fish sauce, sweet chili sauce, sugar, and oil in a small bowl with a whisk, and set aside. Pat the tuna steaks dry and season with salt and pepper. Heat a grill pan over high heat and spray with the oil. Add the tuna and cook for 2 minutes on each side, or until cooked to your liking. Transfer the steaks to a warm plate, cover, and keep warm. Meanwhile, place the noodles in a large pot of salted, rapidly boiling water and cook according to package directions, until al dente. Drain well. Add half the dressing, half the scallions, and half the cilantro, and toss well. Divide the noodles between two plates, then place a tuna steak on each. Mix the remaining dressing with the scallions and cilantro and drizzle over the tuna and noodles. Serve with the lime wedges.